The 2019/20 NBA season is set to resume on 30 July at Disney World. Here’s all you need to know in order to bet on the NBA action.
When will the NBA season resume?
Traditionally the NBA regular season runs from October to April with the playoffs normally concluding in late June. It’s all different this season, though, as like most major sporting events around the world, the NBA went on hiatus in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The season will now be completed at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida with the first games to be played from 30 July. If necessary, Game 7 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for 12 October.
Which teams will be involved?
Only 22 of the 30 NBA teams will return to complete the season.
These are the 16 teams currently in the playoffs based on NBA standings prior to the shutdown along with the the six teams who were games or fewer behind the eighth seed in their respective conferences.
That makes a total of 22 teams, 13 from the West and 9 from the East. Meanwhile the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors have all seen their seasons ended prematurely.
Current Standings: Eastern Conference
- Milwaukee Bucks (53-12)
- Totonto Raptors (46-18)
- Boston Celtics (43-21)
- Miami Heat (41-24)
- Indiana Pacers (39-26)
- Philadelphia 79ers (39-26)
- Brooklyn Nets (30-34)
- Orlando Magic (30-35)
- Washington Wizards (24-40)
- Charlotte Hornets (23-42)
- Chicago Bulls (22-43)
- New York Knicks (21-45)
- Detroit Pistons (20-46)
- Atlanta Hawks (20-47)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (19-46)
Current Standings: Western Conference
- Los Angeles Lakers (49-14)
- Los Angeles Clippers (44-20)
- Denver Nuggets (43-22)
- Utah Jazz (41-23)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24)
- Houston Rockets (40-24)
- Dallas Mavericks (40-27)
- Memphis Grizzlies (32-33)
- Portland Trail Blazers (29-37)
- New Orleans Pelicans (28-36)
- Sacramento Kings (28-36)
- San Antonio Spurs (27-36)
- Phoenix Suns (26-39)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (19-45)
- Golden State Warriors (15-50)
How will the 22-team format work?
A proposal on how the 22-team format would work was accepted by the National Basketball Players Association on 5 June. It will see all teams play eight regular-season ‘seeding’ games to decide who makes the playoffs. All fixtures have been selected from a team’s remaining regular-season matchups.
There is also the possibility of a ‘play-in tournament’ in each conference, but only if the ninth seed finishes the regular season within four games of the eighth seed. In this scenario the current eighth seed would need to defeat the ninth seed just once to keep their place. The ninth seed meanwhile, would need to defeat the eighth seed two games in a row to make the playoffs.
If that all sounds a bit confusing, don’t worry. Once the field is set, things return to some kind of normality and the NBA proceeds in its traditional conference-based playoff format. This means a best-of-seven series in the first round, conference semifinals, conference finals and The Finals.
What about the 2020/21 season?
Of course the delay in completing this season will have implications extending far beyond the current NBA campaign. Below is a tentative timeline of how things will progress in the off-season.
- 16 October: NBA Draft
- 18 October: Start of free agency
- 10 November: Training camps for 2020/21 season begin
- 1 December: Opening night for 2020/21 season
How to bet on the NBA
If you want to bet on any of the NBA action, then look no further! BetConnect will have you covered for all of the remaining matches with best bookmaker odds and a range of markets, explained in more detail below.
NBA betting markets explained
Moneyline
Moneyline betting needs little explanation. You are simiply betting on which team you think will win the game. When placing a moneyline bet on basketball, or most American sports for that matter, you should always check the rules around overtime results.
Point Spread
Probably the most popular form of basketball betting, the point spread is essentially a handicap imposed on one team to make both teams equal in terms of betting. You are betting on how many points you thing a team is going to either win or lose by.
Total Points
In this market, we are simply totting up all the points scored by both teams. The market applies a line from which you have to work out whether the total points will settle under or over that line. For example, if LA Lakers v LA Clippers has a total points line of 225.5. The Lakers win 112-103, making for a total of 215 points. You win if you bet on under 225.5, and lose if you backed the high side of the line.
That pretty much sums up all you need to know about the return of the NBA and how to bet on all of the action. So what are you waiting for? Join BetConnect today and benefit from best bookmaker odds with no restrictions. Alternatively, you can find more information here.
